St. James council votes to settle sexual harrassment lawsuit
Published 12:00 am Saturday, July 29, 2000
DANIEL TYLER GOODEN / L’Observateur / July 29, 2000
VACHERIE – The St. James Parish Council is settling a sexual harassmentlawsuit filed by Mindi Becnel.
The suit, Mindi Becnel vs. Herman Lewis, St. James Parish and St. JamesParish School Board, states that Becnel, a student of St. James HighSchool and of Vacherie, was participating in a school system employment program in August 1999 at the St. James Parish utilities department andclaimed to be the victim of sexual harassment in the form of a physical attack of a sexual nature by Lewis. The suit states that the attackoccurred while both Becnel and Lewis were working for the utilities department. It further states the attack caused severe emotional traumaand mental anguish, which caused Becnel to be placed with another employer in the employment program and forced her to seek extensive medical treatment.
The suit accuses Lewis of discriminating against Becnel and accuses St.
James Parish of negligent infliction of emotional distress by allowing Lewis to be in a position to attack Becnel and negligence in hiring and in the supervision of Lewis.
The St. James School Board was accused of negligent screening foremployers for the employment program, placing Becnel in an employment situation where she was subject to sexual harassment and negligent supervision of employers and students in the employment program.
Becnel claimed that among the damage done to her was past, present and future severe emotional trauma, mental anguish, loss of enjoyment of life, irritation, anxiety, discomfort and embarrassment.
With the voting of the settlement, the suit is in it’s last stages for the council. The school board has also settled, but it is unknown whetherLewis has settled. The amount of the settlement was not disclosed. The suit was filed with the clerk of court’s office on Aug. 31, 1999.Lewis was represented by attorney Newton Muhammad of LaPlace. Becnelwas represented by Ter Sim Hotard of LaPlace. Attorney Mike Juno wascontact in regards to the parish’s side of the suit.
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